


Serpent Tongue

by stpitbull



Category: Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-03-29
Updated: 2012-03-29
Packaged: 2017-11-02 17:18:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/371458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stpitbull/pseuds/stpitbull





	Serpent Tongue

"I know who _you're_  here to see."   
  
The voice practically makes Knight jump and he can't explain it. Everyone else from the outpost likes their leave on the Strip, and as far as he knows that's where they all are. He's the only one who comes to the Wrangler. But he jumps at the accusation, whirls around before he can catch himself.   
  
Doesn't recognize the kid from Adam, though on first glance he takes him for a King. But the jacket's wrong, and he's harder hewn than any of the Kings his age. Which, honestly, Knight can only guess at. He looks like he came from healthy stock but he's got a fair amount of weathering around his eyes, and the smirk he's giving Knight is flexing laugh lines that look like they haven't gotten a workout in a while.   
  
"Yeah," the stranger says. "You're here for ol' Santiago, aintcha? Can damn near  _smell_  it on ya."   
  
Knight blinks like his heart isn't hammering. This is the only leave he's going to get in a long time, he just knows it, and here's some punk interfering. Fantastic. "Oh, really?" he says. "And how's that?"   
  
The stranger crosses his arms, leans back on one hip like he's sizing Knight up, and this is a terrible time to notice that he's got beautiful eyes. "Lemme guess. Soldier? Here on leave? But yer buddies are all over at Gomorrah while  _you're_  huntin' for strange here at the Gargler."   
  
"Wrangler."   
  
"I know." The stranger gives him another once over and clicks his tongue. "Yep. Dead fuckin' giveaway. That and the fact that you walk like you've got a stick in your ass that you could play ball with. You haven't gotten any in a  _while_ ."   
  
Knight's feeling hot under the collar and not in the way he was hoping to tonight. "And if I am here for Santiago?" he says in low tones, crossing his arms himself, months of evermounting frustration fraying his edges. "What? You got a problem with that?"   
  
" _Hell yeah_ , I do," the stranger says, dropping his voice huskily and taking a step forward. "You really gonna throw your money away on that creep when the finest piece in Freeside is looking right atcha?"   
  
Knight blinks. "I. Oh.  _Oh_ ." He takes a breath as his nerve-addled mind tries to process this new information. "Didn't realize the Wrangler had hired new talent."   
  
"Pssh, come on, daddy, I look like a normal sad old trick to you?" the stranger says, lightly running the tip of one finger along a seam on his chest. "I look like a fuckin' novelty act? Naw, baby, I'm freelance."   
  
"Freelance?" Knight repeats, going a bit stupid over the swiftly-decreasing distance between them. "Are you saying--"   
  
"What I'm  _saying_ ," and he can swear he can feel it through his armor as the backs of fingers brush over his chest, "is that you go tell Little Miss Bitchface over there that you'd like a room. An' I'll meet you there. An' we can talk prices. I ain't bargain bin like the sideshow here, but I'm clean, and I'm hot, and I'll do a damn fine job of gettin' that stick outta yer ass. Metaphorically speakin'."   
  
Knight hesitates, but the stranger reaches up and hooks a finger under his chin and damn, they really  _are_  practically against each other at this point, aren't they? "Look, daddy, you want someone who'll call you pretty and make gentle love to you on a bed of rose petals? Or you want someone you can  _fuck_ ?"   
  
He can swear it echoes throughout the bar when he swallows the sudden lump in his throat. "I'll get the room."   
  
The stranger winks. "Knew you would."


End file.
